Ive on Apple's quest for simplicity

And a tantalising hint at what's next

Apple's head of design Jonathan Ive has spoken at length about Apple's product design process, explaining that the search for simplicity lies at the heart of every Apple device.

Arguably Britain's most successful export, Ive is in town to meet the Queen and pick up a knighthood, as you do.

He told The Telegraph, "We try to develop products that seem somehow inevitable. That leave you with the sense that that's the only possible solution that makes sense.

"Our products are tools and we don't want design to get in the way. We're trying to bring simplicity and clarity, we're trying to order the products."

Clarity

That simplicity lies at the heart of what Ive does and products like the iPhone and iPad - but he's keen for you to realise that simplicity isn't always simple:

"Simplicity is not the absence of clutter, that's a consequence of simplicity. Simplicity is somehow essentially describing the purpose and place of an object and product. The absence of clutter is just a clutter-free product. That's not simple.

"The quest for simplicity has to pervade every part of the process. It really is fundamental."

Ive went on to claim that what Apple is currently working on "feels like the most important and best work we've done" – your guess is as good as ours on what that is though.

Could it be the next iPhone? The oft-rumoured Apple iTV? Something completely new? There's only one thing for sure: Ive is not telling.